INDIA bloc leaders likely to meet on June 1 to assess LS polls performance
New Delhi: On June 1, the INDIA Opposition bloc’s top leaders are set to convene in the national capital. The meeting, scheduled for the afternoon during the final polling phase, aims to evaluate their Lok Sabha elections performance and strategize for the upcoming results on June 4.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, a senior leader of the Opposition bloc, is the convener of the meeting. However, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has expressed her inability to attend due to ongoing voting in West Bengal and cyclone relief efforts. “My priority is ensuring relief for the people,” Banerjee stated in Kolkata.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has informed the organisers that its top leaders, including party supremo Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, will be engaged in voting and hence unable to attend. Despite this, the party has maintained a consistent presence at all Opposition bloc meetings.
On June 1, voting will occur in nine constituencies in West Bengal, including Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar. The Opposition leaders plan to reconvene post-election to assess the results and strategize for the future.
The Opposition alliance, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), has been vocal about its intent to prevent the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from securing a third term in power. The INDIA bloc, formed by twenty-eight Opposition parties, has held several meetings since its inception in Patna on June 23 last year, including gatherings in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi.
Despite not having a seat-sharing agreement with the Congress or any other INDIA bloc party in West Bengal, the TMC’s candidate in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi, Laliteshpati Tripathi, has received support from ally Samajwadi Party.
Meanwhile, the ruling alliance, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, remains confident in its ability to secure a third consecutive term at the Centre post-elections. However, some parties, including Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), have since defected to the NDA.
